Twilighters Anonymous

Twilight Cast (5)

The rise of the Twilight saga captured a fanbase that unapologetically flaunted their love for romantic fiction. They go by the name of Rats, Twihards, Twerds, and Twilighters and are willing to immerse themselves into a world of Vampires and Werewolves. Bella Swan's relationship with the golden-eyed vampire Edward Cullen has been romanticized by women of all ages whose love standards have been influenced by the teenage romance and love triangle. The Twilight Saga has influenced many art forms, with fans worldwide creating fan art and fanfiction inspired by the movies. Thousand of communities exist on various platforms with the sole purpose of connecting Twilight fans. The love of a Twilight enthusiast knows no bounds, capable of both connecting thousands and feeding delusions.  

Twilight Forever

AI-Generated Photo of Children (2)

Social media pages like Instagram and Facebook have been used for years to unite the Twilight community. Facebook groups like Twilight Forever: Official Fan Group average about 130,000 members- more than 2 football stadiums worth! In these groups, fans can discuss any questions, opinions, and fun facts they have about the series. Featured posts can include, "Can vampires 'taste' disease in human blood? Do you think it affects them in any way?"(1) and "On the night of their wedding, Edward and Bella make love, and Edward bruises Bella's arm and shoulder. Why didn't Bella feel the pain of being squeezed hard enough to bruise?"(1) Through the safe space, fans help each other understand the series better by revealing unknown facts and "hot takes". Some even utilize artificial intelligence to generate fanart of the main characters. Instagram page @mrpomeroyj_ai has posted a fanart of what Edward and Bella's children could look like, along with crossover media between Twilight and Alice in Wonderland. The possibilities are endless amongst Twilighters, and the creativity does not end there! Fanfiction.net is a website for amateur writers that allows for full creative freedom over the plot of a released movie/novel. Twilight fans use this website to create new love interests, climaxes, and endings for the movies. The stories below are published on the site and take an original twist on the Twilight characters:

15 Things To Do At Walmart Cullen Style 

"Ever get those annoying, yet funny chain e-mail that say stuff like "15 Things To Do At Walmart'? This is what happens when Bella gets one and decides to enlist the Cullens to help her actually do them!"

Playboy Bunny (3)
"Bella Swan, a Playboy Bunny, goes to her ten-year reunion, where she runs into Edwards Cullen, a successful lawyer she's had a crush on since high school."

Whiskey Lullaby
"Bella leaves Edward and spends her whole life trying to drink his memory away. "

Thousands of stories like these litter the web, inspired by the need to prolong the series. Today, more than a decade since the last film hit theaters, fans continue to be inspired by the romantic tale with new fan fiction rolling in daily. 

A Thousand Years

Aside from loving the movies, Twihards show a deep appreciation for the soundtrack. One song in particular from the soundtrack album Breaking Dawn, Part 1: The Score grew in popularity because of the romantic scene associated with it. 'A Thousand Years' by Christina Perri has more than 2.4 Billion streams since it's release in 2012. Encouraged by the heartfelt wedding scene, fans across the world have chosen to incorporate a bit of Twilight into their memorable occasions. Instrumental versions of the song have led Thousands of women down the aisle on their special day, connecting them on a level that transcends pop culture. In the video below, a Scottish bride is accompanied down the aisle to "A Thousand Years" (6):

I Do, Edward

 Marriage is one of the most sacred bonds in life. So, what happens when your wife is mooning over a vampire? Twilight has become a fandom addiction for couples with no guidelines or research on how to fix it. One couple in particular almost filed for divorce in 2010 after the wife, Chrystal, developed a strong attachment to the characters of Twilight. The Los Angeles Times describes  Chrystal's all-consuming addiction as abnormal and detrimental to her relationship, "My husband finally came to me and said, 'I think you love "Twilight" more than you love me,' says Johnson, who has become especially attached to the community she'd found online."(4) The intensity of the fixation, present in women of all ages, has transitioned from online entertainment to relationship-damaging media, "I ended up moving out of the house and fought for my marriage for six weeks. I had to step back and detox myself from 'Twilight.'"(4) Chrystal was one of the lucky few who was able to salvage her relationship, but there are plenty more that have claimed 'Twilight' as a major issue in their marriage. Experiences like these show outsiders that 'Twilight' is more than a simple fictional novel and film; It has a way of wrapping fans around its finger. 

(1) Twilight Forever: Official Fan Group. (n.d.). Home [Facebook page]. Facebook. Retrieved May 1, 2024, from https://www.facebook.com/groups/TwilightForeverOfficial/

(2) Pomeroy, J. [@mrpomeroyj_ai]. (n.d.). Posts [Instagram profile]. Instagram. Retrieved May 1, 2024, from https://www.instagram.com/mrpomeroyj_ai/?hl=en

(3) FanFiction. (2010, July 19). Twilighters-anonymous. FanFiction. https://www.fanfiction.net/u/1619104/twilighters-anonymous.

(4)Spines, C. (2010, June 27). When “twilight” fandom becomes addiction. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-jun-27-la-ca-twilight-addiction-20100627-story.html

(5)Tallarico, M. (2017, June 28). The supporting cast of twilight: Where are they now?! Cosmopolitan. https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/a9616756/twilight-cast-where-are-they-now/

(6)Hammond, N. (2022, July 13). Bridal entrance - to a thousand years (Nigel’s piano cover of the Christina Perri song). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvNfm4VzXG4